Upper North Shore - Central Coast area

Mattus · Postby **Mattus** » Sat Jul 19, 2014 1:09 am

Over the couple of years I've been driving, I've collected a few nice drives around my way.

1. Berowra Waters - Classic thin windy road, lots of short little cambered corners that snake around with the ridge down to the waters edge, From either Dural or Berowra way. no lane stripes Berowra way.

2. Galston Gorge - A bit busier then Berowra waters, but windier and better looked after. there are lane stripes the whole road.

3. Old Highway, Berowra to Brooklyn - Very very popular stretch of road for any car or bike enthusiast, good gathering spot up at Pie in the Sky, see MX5's every time I go there. Very cambered at times, 80 speed limit, no better feeling then ripping a small car through those corners.

4. Bobbin Head/Apple Tree Bay run - A mix between Galston gorge and Berowra Waters, the ground however can be a bit loose at times, so beware the back coming out of the sharp corners. restaurant and playground at the bottom, often see supercars parked at the bottom.

5. Ferry run, Berowra to Wisemans Ferry, up to Central Mangrove and down the Old highway - This is a long drive, about 3 hours. a nice scenic cruise through bush and some farm land up to Wisemans, then a beautiful stretch of road running parallel to the Hawksbury River, passing through some little old towns and up to Central Mangrove, which leads to 45 minutes of windy road down south to Berowra. beware the road leading up to Central Mangrove, as it can get pretty slippery in the wet.

Happy Driving guys! :NA6:

IMMX5 · Postby **IMMX5** » Sun Aug 24, 2014 10:02 pm

The other local one for the Upper North Shore is McCarrs Creek Rd from Terry Hills (Mona Vale Road) down to Church point - and back.

Just be sure to be careful of the pushbike crowd - and if you are lucky you may miss the odd "Sunday driver".

ED_MX5 · Postby **ED_MX5** » Wed Sep 10, 2014 10:19 pm

^ awesome road!
McCarrs Creek Rd is a regular for me!

toadcat · Postby **toadcat** » Fri Oct 17, 2014 7:50 am

If you're willing to stretch it out a bit further North you have Buckett's Way and the absolutely amazing Wootton Way. If you haven't dríven the last one yet, make it your next Sunday's mission - it's that good..Perfect additions to any run up to QLD to alleviate Pacific hwy whiteline fever..

If you keep heading North from the Old Road (Old Pacific Highway) you can head up towards Kulnurra and onto Wollombi. The tavern there has top notch burgers - highly recommended lol. Once you're this far in you can go a little bit further north to Broke (which has 98) and do a southern lap of the Putty to finish your day. The Ten Mile (16kms of twisties) on the Putty is probably one of the best stretches of road in NSW before the Snowies and the Oxley + Waterfall Way but those aren't day trippable

Closer to Sydney is Barrenjoey road up towards Palm Beach is quite fun but you have to be sensible given it's a main road (60 limit) with relatively limited visibility on some intersections.

There's also the Old Road + Wiseman's Ferry + Old Northern Road loop you can knock out before lunch time if you start early enough. Good excuse to go to Mx5 Mania afterward lol

Is there any kind of Northern Beaches chapter for the MX5 club? Can only see Northern Sydney (but seems to be more hills district which is far from me lol) on my newsletter ;(

Wish I wasn't struck with this cold either and could drive this weekend

ED_MX5 · Postby **ED_MX5** » Fri Oct 17, 2014 9:15 pm

I'll second the northern beaches chapter. Would be good to have a regular meet organised.
Peats ridge up the old road also has a good place called the corrugated café. Nice burgers.

Regie · Postby **Regie** » Fri Jan 02, 2015 9:58 am

the club are always looking for run organisers/leaders.

Get in contact with the Sydney Chapter convenor if you wish to carry out a club run

ED_MX5 · Postby **ED_MX5** » Fri Jan 02, 2015 11:48 am

Might not be up for organizing everything. But would attend for sure!
Perhaps I could start a thread and gauge interest and try and organize one club run for members on here. If there is good interest I wouldn't mind organizing it then.

lizard · Postby **lizard** » Fri Jan 02, 2015 12:48 pm

Mattus wrote:Over the couple of years I've been driving, I've collected a few nice drives around my way.

1. Berowra Waters - Classic thin windy road, lots of short little cambered corners that snake around with the ridge down to the waters edge, From either Dural or Berowra way. no lane stripes Berowra way.

2. Galston Gorge - A bit busier then Berowra waters, but windier and better looked after. there are lane stripes the whole road.

3. Old Highway, Berowra to Brooklyn - Very very popular stretch of road for any car or bike enthusiast, good gathering spot up at Pie in the Sky, see MX5's every time I go there. Very cambered at times, 80 speed limit, no better feeling then ripping a small car through those corners.

4. Bobbin Head/Apple Tree Bay run - A mix between Galston gorge and Berowra Waters, the ground however can be a bit loose at times, so beware the back coming out of the sharp corners. restaurant and playground at the bottom, often see supercars parked at the bottom.

5. Ferry run, Berowra to Wisemans Ferry, up to Central Mangrove and down the Old highway - This is a long drive, about 3 hours. a nice scenic cruise through bush and some farm land up to Wisemans, then a beautiful stretch of road running parallel to the Hawksbury River, passing through some little old towns and up to Central Mangrove, which leads to 45 minutes of windy road down south to Berowra. beware the road leading up to Central Mangrove, as it can get pretty slippery in the wet.

Happy Driving guys!

I live in Dural Galston area and Im disgusted in the way these roads are used as public race tracks
Have only ever been on one club run and again disgusted in the way some drivers think all road rules can be broken

Danny · Postby **Danny** » Fri Jan 02, 2015 3:30 pm

ED_MX5 wrote:Might not be up for organizing everything. But would attend for sure!
Perhaps I could start a thread and gauge interest and try and organize one club run for members on here. If there is good interest I wouldn't mind organizing it then.

Is there another one of the first Sat meet and greet at the Pie Shop on the old road tomorrow morning? It's on the the regular MX5 club list of regular events. I

I'd go home via Spencer if there's some interest from others doing so too. With double demerits it would be foolish to speed and doubly so through Lizard's backyard :wink:

Magpie · Postby **Magpie** » Sat Jan 03, 2015 3:19 pm

In the very early 80's I used to love taking my 2 stroke up to the Settlers Arms Inn at St Albans then to Bucketty, Kulnura, Spencer back over the ferry and head back to Garden Island via Windsor.

Danny · Postby **Danny** » Sat Jan 03, 2015 3:45 pm

Two stroke, early 80's...are you talking Mach iv Kwaka or one of the Suzi water buckets? Used to have a Mach iii, aka the widow maker. The Mack iv was so much better.

That route you mentioned would be a good one for our cars.

Magpie · Postby **Magpie** » Sat Jan 03, 2015 4:38 pm

KR250(A1 frame number 8275 one of the first delivered into Australia) and RZ500.

Widow makers, aaah 750 2 stroke I have owned one and in a straight line what a beast, however cornering was another story. I have also owned a Z9 (taken out to 1027 with a Yoshimura Stage 3), GPZ900R, GPZ750 Turbo, Suzuki Spook (900cc, 5 speed air cooled, pulled like a tank) and a Z1300.

Actually I'm on the look out for a KR250 A1, RZ500 and a 750 H2.

Mattus · Postby **Mattus** » Thu Jan 15, 2015 10:19 pm

lizard wrote:I live in Dural Galston area and Im disgusted in the way these roads are used as public race tracks
Have only ever been on one club run and again disgusted in the way some drivers think all road rules can be broken

I've never really seen anyone race down Galston Gorge, although I only really drive down there in the day time, though I heard it can get pretty silly at night. As for the Old Pac Highway, that place is crawling with police, so there's no way I would speed up there. The 80 speed limit is plenty. However some motorcycle drivers do about 140 up and down Old Pac, so there you go. Berowra Waters I don't really see anyone drive recklessly, same with Bobbin Head. Old Northern road though can get pretty bad, especially at night!

Tubby · Postby **Tubby** » Tue Feb 03, 2015 1:30 pm

lived for many years in Glenorie and did the gorge most days. I rarely saw any hoons, it was the smaller trucks who decided to see fi they could get through the hairpins that were the main concern, it's a long way around when one gets stuck there. drivers along old northern road were far worse than through the gorge.

Also used to enjoy the singing of a two stroke motor, rgv was great fun out to wisemans ferry and beyond, unless you got caught behind a huge group from the ulyses club.
It makes a long day but out through spencer and up to wollombi, a nice lunch (wyndham estate is a favourite) then back down the putty road.